Walter Benz --- ,,Die Mathematik war mein Leben, ist mein Leben`` (Q1039869)

The article presents an interview of Uta Hartmann with the professor of mathematics Walter Benz. It was part of the project 'Oral history by example of new development in mathematics at the University of Hamburg'. In this interview the author puts the main emphasis on Benz' mathematical work at Hamburg's University. At the beginning she sketches the career of Benz until his appointment as professor of geometry in Hamburg, where he followed E. Sperner. Then she elucidates some of Benz' geometrical results, gives an overview of his work and research activities, especially of the textbooks, and considers also his contributions as a teacher at the university. Benz had a lot of disciples. He supervised the dissertation of 21 students, more than a half of them got a professorship at an university. In detail Benz explained a result of Mrs. Professor Huang with respect to a fundamental problem of space-time-geometry. Benz' activities in the Mathematical Society of Hamburg, his interests in the history of mathematics, as well as his recollections of some famous colleagues are treated in further sections of the article. Only a few passages of the interview are presented as quotations. The main part of the article is a report of its contents with some explanations of the author. The article is closed by a curriculum vitae of Benz, overviews of his visiting professorships, of his memberships in scientific organizations, of his editorship of journals, of some awarding of prices, as well as of his doctoral students and a list of his publications.